Latest news with #JasonNorton
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gaston County man wins $100,000 on $30 scratch-off ticket
GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Dallas man took a chance on a $30 scratch-off and won a $100,000 prize. Jason Norton went to the lottery headquarters Monday and, after state and federal tax withholding, took home $71,758. Norton bought his lucky Black Titanium ticket from Edgewood Mini Mart on Edgewood Road in Bessemer City. The game debuted in June of 2023 with six $4 million top prizes and 16 $100,000 prizes. Two $4 million prizes and four $100,000 prizes are left. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Car Dependability Hits Historic Low, New Research Finds
Cars nowadays offer a lot more than they used to: semi-autonomous driving, better fuel efficiency, and greater safety features, to name a few. But new research found that there's one quality in short supply across the industry: dependability. According to J.D. Power's latest Vehicle Dependability Study, owners of 2022 vehicles have reported more problems than any group since 2009. The study, which surveyed owners of three-year-old cars, found that quality issues from the COVID-19 pandemic era are still lingering in vehicle production, even as the industry makes progress on other study surveyed 34,175 owners of 2022 model-year vehicles, measuring the number of problems per 100 cars. The results show a significant drop in quality compared to previous years, which is not entirely unexpected. 'While the increase in problems this year may be a thorn in the side of automakers and owners, it's important to remember that today's three-year-old vehicles were built during a time when the industry was grappling with major disruptions,' said Jason Norton, director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. During the early 2020s, automakers faced factory closures, part shortages, and supply chain delays. This forced them to build cars under difficult conditions, and it appears those struggles are now showing up in long-term reliability ratings. The most common reliability issue reported? Problems with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. These systems, which allow users to mirror their smartphone screens onto their car's infotainment system, have been plagued by software bugs. J.D. Power noted that while automakers promise fixes through over-the-air (OTA) updates, they don't always work as intended. Of the owners surveyed, 36% said their car had received an OTA update, but only 30% saw an improvement. More than half (56%) reported no noticeable change after receiving an different powertrain types, hybrid vehicles showed the fewest reported issues. Here's how each category stacked up in terms of reported problems per 100 vehicles: Hybrids: 199 Gas-powered vehicles: 200 Electric vehicles: 223 Diesel-powered vehicles: 233 Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs): 242 EV reliability is improving, with 33 fewer problems per 100 vehicles than in last year's study. However, PHEVs saw a drop in quality, likely due to their complex dual powertrain system. J.D. Power ranked car brands based on the number of problems per 100 vehicles. Here's how the top 10 performed: Lexus once again dominated the dependability study, cementing its reputation for long-term reliability. The brand's best-performing model was the Lexus GX, which ranked as the most dependable midsize premium SUV. Buick took second place, proving that General Motors' premium brand knows how to build reliable vehicles. While no particular model ranked at the top of its category in reliability, the overall brand managed to make relatively dependable cars even in the midst of a continues to impress with simple yet durable engineering. Like Buick, none of Mazda's vehicles ranked at the top of their respective categories, but the overall brand's low number of reported problems still puts it among the best in the industry. Toyota's reputation for reliability remains strong. The Toyota Camry, Corolla, Tacoma, and RAV4 all ranked as the most dependable vehicles in their respective segments. Cadillac tied for fifth place, showing that GM's luxury brand is making strides in dependability. The Cadillac XT6 led the pack in the upper midsize premium SUV category. Chevrolet also secured a fifth-place tie. Notably, the Chevrolet Silverado, Silverado HD, and Chevrolet Tahoe were ranked the most reliable in their respective landed in sixth place, with the GMC Acadia named the most dependable upper midsize SUV. The brand's focus on durability continues to pay off in long-term reliability. Luxury performance brand Porsche showed strong dependability, proving that performance and complexity don't always mean more problems. BMW's dependability ranking suggests that the brand is improving quality control, with the BMW 3 Series taking the top spot for the most reliable compact premium car. Mini's small cars have proven to be surprisingly durable. Although they can sometimes come at a premium, Mini remains a solid choice for drivers looking for a fun yet dependable vehicle. Kia rounded out the top 10, with the Kia Sedona winning the award for the most reliable minivan. Kia's vehicles continue to improve in long-term the other end of the rankings, some automakers fared much worse in the study, struggling with high numbers of reported issues. Volkswagen, Chrysler, Jeep, Audi, and Land Rover had the highest number of reported issues per 100 cars, between 270 and 285 across the brands. Tesla was left out of J.D. Power's official brand rankings due to the company's policy of not allowing surveys to be conducted in a handful of states. However, the study still gathered data from owners in other states, showing that Tesla vehicles had 209 problems per 100 vehicles, slightly above the industry average. While some brands showed strong dependability, the overall industry average rose to 202 problems per 100 vehicles—12 more than last year. It will be interesting to see whether future vehicle generations improve as supply chains face potential new threats from a wave of proposed tariffs thanks to the Trump administration. For now, buyers looking for long-term dependability may want to stick with brands like Lexus, Toyota, and Buick, which have consistently performed well in these rankings. Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lexus, Buick top J.D. Power's latest car dependability survey, with Volkswagen, Chrysler lagging behind
Lexus again tops the ranks of J.D. Power's newest vehicle dependability survey (VDS), but car owners overall are making more complaints as vehicles get more and more complex. The 2025 J.D. Power VDS, now in its 36th year, covers 184 specific problem areas across vehicle categories, like infotainment systems, diver assistance tech, powertrain, and interior and exterior features, across the first three years of ownership. Toyota's (TM) Lexus brand snagged the top honors in vehicle dependability for a third consecutive year, with a score of 140 PP100 (problems per 100 vehicles). GM's (GM) Buick brand ranked highest in the mass market segment, with a score of 143. Mazda (MZDAY) came in second with 161, and Toyota, at 162, came third. At the premium end, Cadillac (169) ranks second behind overall winner Lexus (also a premium brand), with Germany's Porsche (186) coming in third. On the flip side, Volkswagen (285), Chrysler (282, Jeep (275), VW's Audi (273), and Land Rover (270) suffered the most issues and ranked in the bottom five. Tesla ranked in the middle of the pack (209). J.D. Power said the 2025 VDS is based on responses from 34,175 owners of 2022 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The VDS differs from J.D. Power's widely followed initial quality survey, which covers issues dealing with the first year of ownership. Overall, problems with software defects and personal device integration (i.e., connecting iPhones and Android devices), plus issues with plug-in hybrid EVs, plagued owners of those cars bought back in 2022. J.D. Power found that the industry overall saw a 6% increase in problems (12 PP100) from a year ago. 'While the increase in problems this year may be a thorn in the side of automakers and owners, it's important to remember that today's three-year-old vehicles were built during a time when the industry was grappling with major disruptions,' said Jason Norton, director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. 'Supply chain issues, record-high vehicle prices, and personnel disruption in the wake of the pandemic were problematic.' Overall, Toyota and GM products received the most model-level awards, with six each. The most dependable model overall across all brands was Toyota's Avalon sedan, a full-size vehicle that, interestingly, isn't one of Toyota's top sellers. The highest-ranked compact car was the Toyota Corolla, followed by the Kia Forte and Subaru Impreza. The premium segment had the BMW's stalwart 3 series on top, with the 4 Series in second. The midsize car segment had the top-selling Camry taking top honors, followed by Nissan's Altima and the Hyundai Sonata. The Chevrolet Corvette had the highest score in the premium 'sporty' car segment. In the SUV and truck space, award winners included the Lexus GX, Toyota RAV4 and Sienna, Cadillac XT6, Chevrolet Tahoe and Silverado, and the Nissan Kicks and Murano. Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram. Sign in to access your portfolio
